The Agenda

Theater, concerts, exhibits & more—your best bets for July

BY TIM GIHRING AND EMILY STICKLER

Published: June 18, 2009

July 25

FLOW

Of all the art crawls in Minnesota, this one, featuring 300 artists on the North Side of Minneapolis, may be the most compelling. You won’t find anything like the animation-inspired works of Juxtaposition Arts anywhere else in the city; or the vibrant, urban art displayed by Homewood Studios; or, for that matter, the hip-hop acts, drill teams, and other groups slated to perform. This year, the crawl has consolidated, such that you hardly have to amble at all, as an array of music, dance, and visual art can be experienced at any of three intersections along West Broadway. Held on West Broadway Avenue at the corners of Penn, Emerson, and Aldrich avenues, Mpls., 612-521-4405, flownorthside.orgGet More Info

July 1

Music in Plymouth

The Minnesota Orchestra plays its annual outdoor concert in Plymouth, capped by fireworks and wrapped around a theme (Celebrating a Community of Note) that draws attention to the suburb’s recent designation by CNN/Money magazine as the No. 1 “Best Place to Live in America.” Charles Lazarus, the affable orchestra trumpeter whose own ensemble has built a following over the last couple of years, opens the concert with a blend of funk, jazz, and 1950s-style exotica music. Hilde Performance Center, 3450 Plymouth Blvd., Plymouth, 763-509-5200, musicinplymouth.orgGet More Info

July 2 to 25

The Skin of our Teeth

An American classic by Thornton Wilder, this humanist comedy follows a family through the countless calamities of the early 20th century (World War I, the Great Depression). The theme is history repeats itself—all you can do is stick together and brace for it. Minneapolis Theater Garage, 711 W. Franklin Ave., Mpls., 612-729-1071, girlfridayproductions.orgGet More Info / Get Tickets

July 9 to August 2

Fresh Ink

In its 22 years, the Illusion Theater’s Fresh Ink Series of new plays has been a springboard for acclaimed local playwrights such as Jeffrey Hatcher, Marion McClinton, and Jordan Harrison. This year’s slate offers several promising adaptations, including McClinton’s take on Toni Morrison’s novel Jazz and Allison Moore’s production of Willa Cather’s My Antonia. Illusion Theater, 528 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-339-4944, illusiontheater.orgGet More Info / Get Tickets

Through July 12

Flower Drum Song

Playwright David Henry Hwang has made a career out of re-imagining classic plays and operas that are steeped in cultural stereotypes. In Flower Drum Song, produced here by Mu Performing Arts, he’s turned the Rodgers and Hammerstein hit into a musical culture clash, as a San Francisco theater family is torn between presenting traditional Chinese opera and American cabaret. Ordway Center for Performing Arts, 345 Washington St., St. Paul, 651-224-4222, ordway.orgGet More Info / Get Tickets

July 16 to 25

Momentum: New Dance Works

Some of the most promising dancers and choreographers in the Twin Cities have raised their profile through performances in this Walker Art Center–sponsored survey of the local dance scene. This year spotlights Sally Rousse, Vanessa Voskuil, and others. Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Ave. S., Mpls., 612-340-1725, southerntheater.orgGet More Info / Get Tickets

July 23

The Art of Passion

A year ago, the New Orleans composer and trumpeter Irvin Mayfield was hired by the Minnesota Orchestra to lead the ensemble’s fledgling jazz program and to create a new work blurring the boundaries of jazz and classical music. This composition, premiering at the orchestra’s Sommerfest, is the result (and the opening salvo) in Mayfield’s fight to Americanize orchestral music. Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., 612-371-5656, mnorch.orgGet More Info / Get Tickets

Opening July 24

Ella

Tina Fabrique, the Broadway belter who for years has portrayed Ella Fitzgerald, comes to the Guthrie for a part-play, part-concert production smartly crafted by local playwright and screenwriter Jeffrey Hatcher, whose wit elevates this show above the average musical revue. Guthrie Theater, 818 S. Second St., Mpls., 612-377-2224, guthrietheater.orgGet More Info / Get Tickets

July 30 to August 16

Yulong: The Jade Dragon

Circus Juventas is marking 15 years of teaching the art of Cirque du Soleil–style acrobatics with this high-flying showcase of the school’s most advanced students. In keeping with the show’s plot, the feats are derived mostly from the Chinese acrobatic tradition, including hoop diving and pole balancing. Circus Juventas Big Top, 1270 Montreal Ave., St. Paul, 651-699-8229, circusjuventas.orgGet More Info / Get Tickets